Canker Sore Prevention

Source

Baltimore College of Dental Surgery, Dental School, University of Maryland.

Abstract

Recurrent aphthous ulceration (RAU) or canker sores remains a clinical problem for many patients. Efforts in prevention and/or treatment with prescription and nonprescription formulations have to date resulted in minimal success at best. A 6-month double-blind clinical study of 96 adults compared a commercially available antimicrobial mouthrinse (Listerine Antiseptic [LA], Warner-Lambert Co., Morris Plains, N.J.) and a hydroalcoholic control to evaluate the effects of vigorous twice-daily rinsing on the incidence, duration, and severity of RAU canker sores in persons prone to this disorder. LA rinse and the hydroalcoholic rinse resulted in a statistically significant reduction in the incidence of canker sores RAU occurrences from baseline. The duration of lesions and the severity of pain in subjects with canker sore ulcers during the treatment period were also significantly reduced in the LA rinse group of patients when compared with baseline. The hydroalcoholic rinse did not show a significant effect versus baseline for either severity or duration of the lesions. Rinsing therefore can be of clinical value in reducing the occurrence of canker sores in RAU susceptible patients, and LA rinse can be of significant additional value in decreasing the duration and severity of canker sores.

Source

Abstract

Oral Diseases (2012) Objective: To compare the effects of sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS)-free toothpaste and SLS-containing toothpaste (dentifrice) in patients with recurrent aphthous stomatitis (RAS) canker sores. Materials and methods: The design of this study was a double-blind crossover trial. The 90 subjects were divided into three groups: group I used SLS-free toothpaste (a commercially available SLS-free dentifrice) and SLS-A (SLS-free + 1.5% SLS), group II used SLS-A and SLS-B (a commercially available 1.5% SLS-containing toothpaste), and group III used SLS-free and SLS-B. The subjects used one of the two assigned dentifrices for 8 weeks and then the other for the following 8 weeks. The order of the dentifrices (toothpastes) used was selected at random, and there was a 2-week washout period between the two phases. The clinical parameters (number of canker sore ulcers, number of canker sore episodes, duration of canker sore ulcers, mean pain score) were compared between the two phases for each group. Results: The number of canker sores and episodes did not differ significantly between SLS-A, SLS-B, and SLS-free toothpaste. Only duration of canker sore ulcers and mean pain score was significantly decreased during the period using SLS-free toothpaste. Conclusion: Although SLS-free toothpaste did not reduce the number of canker sore ulcers and episodes, it affected the canker sore ulcer-healing process and reduces pain in daily lives in patients with RAS.